Punishment or rest? PSG leave out Dembele from Lille clash after Rennes stumble

Fallout from Rennes's stumble in the French league

Paris Saint-Germain announced on Tuesday that they have granted French international forward Ousmane Dembélé a period of rest until the end of the week. He will miss Friday's trip to Lille in the opening fixture of the second round of the French league, with his return to group training set for the start of next week.

The stumble in the first round against Rennes triggered the decision. PSG threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2, and Dembélé, winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or, came off at half-time alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Now the club have chosen to leave him out of the next match altogether to give him a break.

An official statement on Tuesday evening confirmed the news: "In full agreement with the manager and the sporting director, Ousmane Dembélé will benefit from a period of rest during the next few days, and will resume his training with the group as of next Monday".

Dembélé had been lacklustre in the first half against Rennes, and his exit made way for new signing Ferran Torres. The forward made an instant impact after arriving from Barcelona, bagging a brace to spare the defending champions defeat.

Luis Enrique did not hide his fury afterwards. "Paris have not won anything, absolutely nothing. If you think about what you have won, you will not win anything. The most important thing for me is that there is no room for complacency. You have to prove every day, in every training session, and in every match, that you are ready. Otherwise it is easy to give in to arrogance because of past successes. We are always looking to win, and that is why you have to step out of the comfort zone. Is that clear?".